Login
Stores
Cart
Let’s be honest: when you heard the word hemp, your first thought wasn’t the useful plant, but the drug? You’re like many others – but that wasn’t always the case. Let’s go back a few thousand years in history: in the early centuries, hemp was used in many ways. It was used as a medicine, to make rope and sailcloth, and for clothing.
LEGALIZE IT! HEMP IN FASHION AND SPORTSWEAR
But the use of hemp changed in the 19th century. First, economic and political interests and the mechanization of cotton spinning led to the displacement of hemp. Later, hemp was banned because of its use as a narcotic drug. In 1996, the ban on hemp cultivation in Germany was lifted and the cultivation of commercial hemp was allowed again under strict conditions.
In the last few years, hemp’s reputation has changed once again. If a few years ago people thought of scratchy, baggy clothes or the narcotic, today they are taught something better!
WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS OF HEMP CLOTHING?
- Odor neutralizing: Similar to merino wool, hemp is said to have an odour-neutralising function. This means that you need to wash the garment less often, as airing it out is often enough.
- Moisture Wicking: Hemp is a hollow fiber and can absorb up to a third of its own weight in moisture, allowing the absorbed moisture to escape quickly.
- Temperature regulation: The moisture wicking property provides a pleasant evaporative cooling on hot days, on cold days the air stored in the hollow fiber insulates the heat.
- Skin-friendly and anti-static: The micro-electrical tension of hemp mimics the tension climate of the skin. This makes hemp clothing suitable for allergy sufferers. It does not become statically charged and is like a second skin.
- Hemp provides natural UV protection and is stain resistant.
- Tear resistant: When hemp gets wet, whether from rain or sweat, its tear resistance increases.
More and more well-known brands such as Maloja, Ortovox, Patagonia or Schöffel use hemp fibers in their clothing.
Are you curious and would like to buy an item made of hemp or with hemp content? Here is some inspiration:
HE CULTIVATION OF HEMP
The cultivation of hemp is comparatively sustainable and has several advantages:
• Less water consumption than cotton
• Fast growing raw material
• Low use of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides as hemp is resistant to fungi and bacteria
• Can be grown in many climates
The amount of hemp grown is not enough to meet demand. Therefore, hemp is often mixed with other fibers. Mixing in elastane or cotton also makes the garment more comfortable and pleasant to wear.
The more frequently you wear a garment made of hemp, the more comfortable it becomes on its own, as the “woody” texture breaks down with wear.
When processing hemp fiber, the plant fibers are first separated from the coarse woody components before they can be further processed. Special machinery is required to produce the yarns, making the whole process more complex than that of cotton.
Hemp also ensures comfort in accessories and shoes and inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria:
HEMP AS AN ALL-ROUNDER
Basically, everything can be made from hemp, from the flower to the stalk. For example, the seeds are used to make edible oils, the leaves are used to make various teas and spice blends, the fibers are used in the textile and construction industries, and the flowers are used to make CBD oils.
Read more exciting articles on our blog:
→ All about the all-rounder merino wool
→ Which fibres are there? Our materials glossary explains!
→ Sustainability from Norway: How Norröna is moving towards responsible business practices